Kenny Shoemaker
| Kenny Shoemaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kenneth N. D. Shoemaker September 7, 1929 |
| Died | March 22, 2001 (aged 71) |
| Retired | 1978 |
| Debut season | 1949 |
| Modified racing career | |
| Car number | 24, 37, 50, 111 |
| Wins | 150+ |
| Championship titles | |
| 1958 NASCAR NY Sportsman Champion[1] | |
Kenneth Shoemaker (September 7, 1929 – March 22, 2001) was an American dirt modified racing driver. Known as "The Shoe", he was a hired gun who piloted 78 different cars to over 150 wins, usually at venues within driving distance of his home because of his full-time job.[2][3]
Racing career
[edit]Shoemaker chipped in with boyhood pal Pete Corey in 1949 to buy a 1934 coupe and make it into a stock car. They numbered the black racer number 35 to represent the purchase price and began racing at Burden Lake Speedway in Averill Park, New York.[4] During his career, he competed successfully at the renowned tracks of the northeast, including New York venues Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, Fonda Speedway, Monroe County Fairgrounds, the Syracuse Mile, Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, and Victoria Speedway in Dunnsville, as well as the Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania.[1][2][5][6]
Shoemaker was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[1][4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Boggie, Tom (April 2, 1993). "Shoemaker enters Dirt Hall of Fame". The Daily Gazette. Schenectady NY. p. D6. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 "Ken Shoemaker Career Results". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ↑ Boyd, Lew; Shoemaker, Kenny (2000). They Called Me the Shoe. Coastal 181. ISBN 097098541X.
- 1 2 "Three drivers and promoter elected to NYSSCA Hall of Fame". The Amsterdam Recorder. NY. June 9, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ↑ "Shoemaker wins feature at Victoria". The Record. Troy NY. August 23, 1965. p. 15. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ↑ "Kenny Shoemaker grabs feature Albany Saratoga". The Post-Star. Glens Falls NY. July 16, 1966. p. 8. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
